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This following was written by Thomas Meisenhelder, Professor of Sociology at California State University, San Bernardino. As always, reposting here is for critical discussion and does not imply, agreement, endorsement, or affiliation. Thanks to the comrades over at Anti-imperialism.com for helping to spread the piece.

This is a most difficult time for revolutionary socialists. The rapid collapse and disintegration of the Soviet Union, the electoral defeat of the Sandinistas, the many problems of Cuba, and the demise of revolutionary Marxism-Leninism in Africa all force a serious questioning of basic ideas and strategies. It is a time when global capital seems to rule nearly unchallenged throughout the world. If revolutionary socialism is to be revitalized, received truths about revolution and socialism must be reviewed. Serious questions must be asked. Why so many failed revolutions ending in some form of elitist rule? So far most answers to this question wisely stress a global context of resurgent capitalism; however, it also is important to probe socialist revolutions internally. Read the rest of this entry →